The present invention relates generally to shift-lever devices for motor vehicles, and more particularly, to the shift-lever devices wherein when pressing a knob button arranged at the upper end of a shift lever, a compression rod arranged therethrough is moved to disengage a position pin arranged at the lower end from a detent groove of a detent or position plate, enabling shifting of the shift lever.
Conventionally, automatic transmission operating devices or shift-lever devices for motor vehicles include a shift lever comprising a pipe and longitudinally swingably supported to a housing fixed to a vehicle body, and a compression rod vertically movably arranged therethrough. When operating a knob button that is in slide contact with a taper surface formed at the upper end of the shift lever, the compression rod is moved against a biasing force to disengage a position pin arranged at the lower end from a detent groove of a detent or position plate arranged in the housing, making the shift lever swingable. Through a cable connected at the lower end of the shift lever, shifting of the shift lever is transmitted to operate an automatic transmission.
A known shift locking unit includes a lock lever for preventing movement of the shift lever by contacting it when the position pin is in the parking (P) range. The lock lever is rotated by a solenoid that operates when detecting actuation of a brake switch, etc., so that even when pressing the knob button, the position pin contacts the lock lever, obtaining no movement of the compression rod.
Regarding the known shift-lever devices, however, due to the fact that a pressing force applied to the knob button is input to the lock lever through the position pin, the lock lever needs to have a sufficient strength to resist this pressing force. This causes an increase not only in weight of the lock lever, but in size of the solenoid for actuating the lock lever, resulting in an increase in size and manufacturing cost of the shift locking unit.
It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide shift-lever devices for motor vehicles that contributes to a reduction in size and manufacturing cost of a shift locking unit.